Layers Of Hate
by Sakura Neko-Chan 13
Summary: Dianna's life is a dream, until she is rudely awakened by the arrival of a 'special guest' in her house: Draco Malfoy. Can she break through his years of hate and show everyone his true soul? DracoXOC, minor violence and language. Full summary inside.
1. It Started With An Alright Scene

**DISCLAIMER All my stories have OCs (almost all, anyway). If I owned HP, would there be an OC? No, she'd be in the actual books. Also, I don't own Disenchanted, by My Chemical Romance (MCR), from which I got the chapter title.**

**SUMMARY: Dianna is an incredible young witch. She excels in most forms of magic, and her parent's positions in the ministry give her the clearance to tamper with the very fabrics of magic. Her life is a dream, until she is rudely awakened by the arrival of a 'special guest' in her house- Draco Malfoy. Can she break through his years of hate and show everyone his true soul? And what will happen to her own heart and soul in the process? T for violence, language and some suggestive comments.**

**Very AU, I suppose, and set after the 4th year. Some things will be changed, because I absolutely hated the 5th book.**

**_A/N: _Ooh, I'm so bad! I should be working on the other stories that I never update! I can't help myself, I have an idea. **

**Anyway, IMPORTANT: If you have any intention of reading the next chapter, you MUST review. I have this little problem, you see, where I forget my fanfictions ever existed. However, when I get a review I remember and start writing. So, reviews (and PMs saying 'hurry up') are much appreciated, because I would like to remember to continue.**

**Hinode (Hee-no-day): Sunrise**

**Hebi (Hay-bee): Serpent**

**Suneku (Soo-nay-koo): Snake**

**It Started With An Alright Scene.**

Diana awoke when the green curtains in her room couldn't hold back the sunlight any longer. She could barely remember the richly decorated room around her through the haze of her dreams, but the reality of the sun in her eyes forced her to wake fully.She climbed carefully out of bed.

She played idly with her jet black hair gazing about the room with green eyes that were clear and pure as emeralds.

"Jinx, where are you, sweetheart?" As she spoke, a small brown cat with black stripes jumped from the top of a silk-covered desk. It sat down in front of her, cocking it's head slightly, almost grinning.

Dianna just grinned. "You seem as happy as a kitten with cream. Did a mouse manage to find it's way in here this morning?" The cat licked it's lips in answer. "Or maybe you went after someone's pet fish instead."

Jinx straightened, threw Dianna death with a glance, and walked off in a huff. The insulted cat then sat down, back facing her master.

"I was only kidding, Ms. High and Mighty. I'd like to know what's put you in such a good mood, though."

Something suddenly banged inside one of the drawers of the desk. The drawer slowly pushed outwards, but Jinx ran over and propped her paws on it, pushing it back.

"Jinx." Dianna stared at the drawer, then at the cat, arching an eyebrow. "What do you have in there?"

The cat slowly started to bat at the handle of the drawer. With the help of whatever was inside, the drawer was opened enough for Jinx to stick her head in. Even before she pulled it back out, Dianna could hear the muffled 'gerroff me!'

"A garden gnome? Where'd you manage to get one of those? Get it out of my room right now!"

Jinx grudgingly obeyed, dragging the struggling gnome outside.

Dianna shrugged, deciding not to worry about the origin of the gnome. Instead, she opened a nearby door and stepped into a walk-in closet.

She stood just inside the door, considering her options. The main problem was how formal she wanted to be- she had everything from ball gowns and dress robes to jeans and T-Shirts. She finally decided on one of her favorite outfits- a white tank top with a floral-patterned tan gold overshirt and matching skirt.

A bit dressy for a normal day, but her father said he would bring home a new project. That was always a special occasion!

She walked back into her room. A glass cage sat beside her bed, with a miniature jungle inside and an open top. As she approached, two reptilian heads appeared at the top of cage. One was a dark tan color, with a pale underside and three black stripes running down it's neck. The other was dark orange, with strange black shapes working their way down. Rainbow Boas.

"Morning." The young snakes weaved back and forth expectantly. Diana picked up the orange one, letting it curl up her left arm. She did the same for the other, with the opposite arm.

"Dia, are you up yet?" A woman in her late thirties appeared in the door, with hair that was a mirror image of Dianna's, but with eyes that looked like pools of sea water.

"Yes, Mum."

"Dianna, why are you _wearing_ your pet snakes? I hope you don't plan to keep them on all day."

"Why not? They're more stylish than most of my jewelry anyway."

"I still remember when you tried to wear them to a party, Dianna. Several guests _fainted_..."

"Yes, and you had to try to simultaneously rush me out and help them. I know. However, seeing as we're not doing anything today, it should be fine. They love getting out of my room."

Dianna's mother coughed. "Actually, Dear, we're getting a suprise call tonight... from the Minister of Magic. And he's bringing a guest."

Dianna stopped all motion. "When? Do I have time to get ready? What should I wear? Why..."

"It's just for dinner, sweetheart, after your father gets home. What you're wearing now is fine."

Dianna grinned widely.

"Except for the snakes."

"I figured you wouldn't forget for long."

"Anyway, I wanted you to help the elves set up a menu."

"Of course, Mum."

Dianna's mother left, and Dianna looked at the snakes on either arm. "Well, are you two staying here, or are you coming with me? OW, Hinode, no need to be violent about it!" The orange boa had tightened itself around her arm.

* * *

The Goldet family had two resident house elves, Jida and Gint. Despite their servitude to the family, they wore clothes. The Goldets had long ago decided that the costumes most houselves wore were completely pointless. The clothes meant that the two house elves could leave whenever they wanted, though they chose not to. 

They were delighted when Dianna walked down the steps into the kitchen.

"Have you two heard yet?"

"Yes, Miss. There is guests coming!"

They discussed necessary preparations for about an hour, then Dianna rose to leave.

"Do you think you two can handle that on your own, or should I help?"

"Don't worry, Miss, we've all day!" The two elves then shooed the girl out of the kitchen.

* * *

Almost half a day later, a man walked through the front door, carrying a crate. Soon, he was greeted by his wife. 

"Marrianne, where's Dia? I have something to show her."

"I'm sure she'll be here any minute."

Dianna was running through the halls as fast as she could. When she saw her father, she slowed.

"Dad!"

"Hey, Dia! Come here, you're going to love this."

Dianna approached the large box beside her father. He grinned, opened it, and pulled something out.

It's body was thick and sinuous, with four graceful legs and bat-like wings. It was the color of tarnished silver, with hints of several other colors throughout its body.

"What kind of dragon is it?" Her emerald eyes widened with surprise and excitement. "I've never heard of this type before."

Her father carefully placed the dragon on the floor. "New species, called a Platinum Dragon. Specially bred to work with people. Intelligent, strong, fewer instincts than a normal dragon. And..." His chest puffed up slightly. "I'm the one who bred it. And several others like it. They've been thoroughly tested for how well they deal with humans. They can be very docile, surprisingly. So, I decided that they should be raised by people, to get used to them. And you are now part of the program."

Dianna gaped widely at him. "How in the world did you manage that?"

"You'll see, soon enough. Anyway, this one's yours." Mr. Goldet picked up the dragon again, holding it out to her.

Dianna's father had occasionally brought his work home before, but she'd never been offered to help raise one. She wasn't sure what to say, her father had always warned her that dragons were dangerous. But if he said it was safe...

She took the small dragon from his hands, cradling the creature in her arms. Mrs. Goldet looked on approvingly.

The snakes on her arm writhed slightly, moving closer to the larger reptile. The dragon blew a puff of smoke at them, and they retreated farther up her arms, ending up a twisting choker necklace around her throat. The brown snake wound slightly tighter, and Dianna carefully pulled it off.

"Play nice, you two. Dad, should I name it?"

"If you'd like."

"Is it a he or she?"

"He."

"Alright..." Dianna thought for a few moments. "I'll call him Suneku."

Mr. Goldet looked at the dragon again. "Suneku... interesting choice, Dia."

She grinned widely. "It's Japanese."

"I'll need to teach you to care for it properly..."

* * *

Dianna was carefully groomed that evening, and all her pets were up in her room. The dragon was out in the garden, probably finding a few nice plants to ruin. Mrs. Goldet was attempting to answer the questions of her nervous daughter. 

"Don't worry, he's just dropping by to talk a little business. You're father's new project is certainly important."

Dianna relaxed visibly. It certainly made sense that the minister would want to be involved in the breeding of the new species.

However, she was having trouble finding something to do in her spare time. She wasn't sure exactly when the visit would be.

Luckily, she hadn't twiddled her fingers for long when there was a knock at the door.

She composed herself and stood to one side as her father opened the door. However, she could barely stifle a gasp when she saw who was there.

There were two people in the doorway. The first was the Minister of Magic. She recognized the other face as well.

She had never met the person herself, but she had seen his face on the front page of the Daily Prophet.

**End Chappie! Okay, you get 1 guess as to who the second person at the door is. You get as many guesses as you like as to why he's in the Daily Prophet.**

**Poll time! I don't like the name, it only sorta fits the story. So...**

**a) Layers of Hate (which has the votes of all my editors)**

**b) My Mask**

**c) Show Through**

**d) Pure as Starlight**

**All of which are last minutes thoughts... so if you have a better one, I'd much appreciate, because I don't really like any of these. Also, if you want to read the next chapter, you may want to save it to your favorites or story alert, because the name will probably change.**

**R'n'R**


	2. Innocence for Days

**Disclaimer: I never was very good at writing original stories (I've tried. I have trouble introducing plot and characters)... so I guess that means I don't own HP. Or Xanth, which is by Piers Anthony and is referred to in this chapter. Or House of Wolves, by My Chemical Romance, from which I got the title.**

**A/N I've been very bad. The last time I even READ fanfiction is... idunno. I caught up on all my favorite stories yesterday morning. I blame it on my lack of reviews... L Much as I love Mika-Chan and Tenshi-Chan, I would love it if someone who didn't know me reviewed. ;- )**

**This chapter is going to be very AU. Remember how the Minister didn't believe that Voldie was back? Well, he was proven wrong...**

**Okay, so this chapter should be better than the last one. I mean, Draco's in it! swoon lol**

**Innocence For Days**

_Ashes to ashes, we all fall down,_

_I wanna hear ya sing the praise,_

_I said ashes to ashes, we all fall down,_

_We got innocence for days..._

Dianna forced herself not to say anything. After all, this was her house and she had been taught to be polite to guests.

Even Draco Malfoy.

She'd never met the boy in person. She had been homeschooled the last 4 years, and he went to Hogwarts. However, he and his family had been on the front page of the _Daily Prophet_: Malfoys Revealed as Death Eaters. Draco's parents had been sent to Azkaban prison. The article didn't mention what happened to Draco.

Well, she knew now. Here he was, in her house, the son of Death Eaters. At the same time as the Minister of Magic, no less. She had a feeling that this meeting had more to it than the Platinum Dragons.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Goldet."

"Good evening, Minister. Please, come inside."

"Thank you." The minister came into the reception room and sat down. Draco followed behind him silently, like a ghost. Draco, however, remained standing.

None of the adults seemed to take any notice of him.

With the Minister and her parents engaged in some conversation, it was her duty as a hostess to talk to the remaining guest. No matter how much she dreaded it.

"Good evening! I'm Dianna. I don't believe we've met, what's your name?" It was strange; she could feel her face contort into a warm smile, but behind that mask her mind was seething. What did they teach you, Draco? Do you want to be a Death Eater too? I bet you're just like them. What are you doing in my house?

At first, Draco ignored her. She waited patiently, still smiling.

He turned toward her. It looked like he was going to say something.

"Draco." The Minister had turned toward them. "This is Mr. and Mrs. Goldet. I see you met their daughter."

Draco turned away from Dianna and nodded curtly.

They were spared further conversation by one of the house elves, Jina, entering the room. "Dinner is ready, sirs."

The Minister and the Goldets continued talking. Dianna didn't pay attention, she followed silently and watched Draco.

It was going to be a long night.

The first course had been served. There was a large array of soups and salads mounded on the table. Everyone took their seats, and Dianna found herself across from Malfoy.

She listened to the adults banter with half an ear, and watched Malfoy out of the corner of her eye. She didn't know what she expected him to do, but she didn't trust him.

They finished the first course without event. The second course was brought out, and she smiled despite herself. She could hear the Minister's appreciative comments, and she had helped plan dinner.

Now the conversation turned to dragons. Mr. Goldet discussed their breeding for a while, along with temperament and traits. Most of the conversation was beyond Dianna, he had been working with dragons for years and knew more about them than almost anyone else.

"Dianna, could you go get Suneku please?"

Dianna smiled and nodded, happy to be allowed to leave.

She searched the garden for a while. She finally found the dragon, curled up in a bed of wild clover that had somehow gotten past the walls.

"Suneku!"

The dragon opened one eye lazily.

Dianna carefully picked the dragon up and carried it back inside.

When she reached the dining room, she could see the second course had been cleared away. She carried the dragon to the table and gently set it down.

"So you believe they should be raised by people?" The Minister seemed slightly nervous. Most people wouldn't want to be this close to a dragon.

"Yes. Unlike most dragons, they're safe if you treat them right. In fact, I was thinking they could be added to the Care of Magical Creatures class at the school. Children that age are practically fearless, and there's a good number of dragon that need to be cared for."

"And you believe that they could be guard dragons?"

"They're intelligent and easy to handle. It'll take some time to find out, but I think they're smart and strong enough to replace the Dementors."

The minister frowned. "Well, I don't think Albus was right about that..."

Mr. Goldet was suddenly very serious. "You didn't think he was right about anything. None of us did. It's better to take everything he said as truth at this point. We won't trust the dementors any longer than we have to.

Dianna shuddered slightly. She had seen a dementor once, somewhere deep in near-suppressed memory. Ghostly creatures that felt like a walking apocalypse.

Draco responded to the conversation as well. His eyes flashed briefly. Dianna could figure out if it was fear... or anger.

"You're right, of course... still, we've relied on them so long. And frankly, they're part of the prison. The way those things make people feel... is what makes Azkaban Azkaban."

Dianna knew exactly what was being said- no one really wanted to admit it, but Azkaban was a torture chamber. The dementors made the inmates go insane. Without them, Azkaban wouldn't be nearly as bad.

To hear the Minister admit that criminals were tortured that way...

"I'm sorry, I don't have much of an appetite. May I be excused?"

"Yes, of course, dear."

Dianna rose and walked away. Once she was out of sight, she sat down.

* * *

Once she calmed down, she thought about the conversation. So that's what the Platinum Dragons were for, guarding the prison. She couldn't imagine Suneku ever growing to live in that place... would dragons even fit in those halls?

Of course, if that was there purpose, Father would have taken it into account, and bred them to be smaller.

She agreed with the minister on one point, though. Anyone who ended up in Azkaban deserved the dementors.

She walked back to the reception room. She was surprised to see Malfoy sitting there.

"Is dinner finished already? Or could you not stand that conversation either?"

Malfoy turned to her, his eyes sparkling with the same anger she had seen earlier. She didn't like how those eyes examined her.

For the first time, he spoke. "You wouldn't get it. Little goody two-shoes."

Dianna was somewhat surprised. How could he make any judgment about her? He hadn't even spoken to her. Was he trying to make her mad?

She just smiled. "Well. Now that that's out of the way, I guess I can say what I think. You're mad because they're talking about Azkaban. And that's where your parents are. And you're wishing that you were in a world where Death Eaters like them weren't sent to prison."

If anyone had seen her then, and not heard her, they'd think she was carrying on a polite conversation. She smiled serenely throughout her nasty remark.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "You don't know anything about me."

"You're right. All I know is what was in the paper, and what happened just now. I know you're a nasty little prick. But you don't know anything about me either. And I'll be glad to see you leave tonight." She watched carefully.

Draco grinned maliciously. "Well, I'd hate to disappoint you."

The Goldets and the minister entered the room, Mr. Goldet carrying Suneku.

"Ah, I'm so glad to see you two talking... Dianna, we need to have a conversation that includes you." Mr. Goldet sat down, gesturing to his daughter. She sat nearby.

Draco continued smiling.

"Well, as your parents already know, Mr. Malfoy is... well, his parents are not in a position to care for him. Your parents have graciously agreed to care for him." The minister did not look at Dianna as he spoke.

"I'm sorry we didn't ask you, dear. We thought it would make you nervous meeting him." Mrs. Goldet spoke softly, as if comforting Dianna after a nightmare.

It was certainly close enough. Dianna felt slightly numb, detached. She nodded slightly.

"Well, I thank you all for your hospitality and help. I'll stop by again when the dragons mature more." The minister stood to leave.

The other two adults rose to show him out. Draco and Dianna remained sitting, staring at each other. Dianna was disgusted to see that Draco's _smirk _still hadn't faded away.

"What are you smiling about, prick? I'm sure you'll hate this as much as I will."

"Oh, I'm sure I will. But I'll also enjoy watching you suffer."

"Oh yes, you're life's in tatters, so it's nice to see that you get to ruin someone else's too."

"My thoughts exactly."

"No wonder I'm going to school this year. My parent's don't trust you, so I'll have to keep an eye on you."

"Just what I need. A snoop following me around."

The Goldets entered the room again. The insulting banter ended, and they pretended not to notice each other.

"Dia? Could you show Draco around the house, please?"

"Yes, of course, Mum. Follow me, Malfoy."

Draco and Dianna left the room.

"I think we missed something, dear."

"You're right. They definitely don't like each other. Give it time, they'll get used to it at some point."

"Do you think Dianna knows his parents are in prison?"

"I'm sure she does. But that's not the real reason she doesn't like him."

"I wouldn't be so sure. It would certainly make it so she doesn't trust him."

"Let them get to know each other."

"That may not help. We don't know him any more than she does."

"No. But I bet he doesn't, either."

"Would you like to quit working with dragons and be a psychologist?"

"Would you like to join a debate team?"

* * *

"This is the garden."

"I wouldn't have guessed."

"I'm trying to be polite. You could at least make an attempt."

"That's a lot to ask."

"And yet I'm managing."

Draco scowled, then noticed the small gate in the corner of the garden. "What's that?"

For the first time since the tour started, Dianna genuinely smiled. "That's _my_ garden. Want to see?"

Draco shrugged and followed Dianna through the gate.

None of the plants were recognizable. There were plants that looked like giant pods, bushy red tails... and most of them moved.

"What are these things?"

"Well, this here is milkweed." She took one of the smaller pods and opened it. A white liquid poured out. "You could actually drink this if you wanted to. It has a strange taste, though."

She moved over to the furry plants. "Fox tails." One of the tails flicked in response.

Draco noticed a patch of flowers. They weaved back and for, buds closed. "What are these?" He reached toward them, and one reached forward, opening its flower to reveal sharp teeth.

"Careful, those are snapdragons."

"These are really strange plants."

"They're enchanted, mostly. I got the ideas from a book I read, called Xanth. It's a very strange book, about magic."

"Where did you get permission to make these things?"

"The ministry, of course. My mother experiments with new potions, so she has permission to do stuff like this." She glanced over to a corner of the garden and smiled. "Follow me."

A small tree, not even as tall as the two teens, stood in the corner. Its tentacle-like branches came to life as they approached, reaching toward them.

"It's a tangle tree. Carnivorous plant. I'm worried about how this one will grow, as it gets bigger it'll eat bigger things. Maybe even people."

"What a nice plant to have around."

"Well, I don't know what will happen. Oh, look!"

A small mouse scurried near the tree. The vines of the tree snapped into action, coiling around the mouse. The small creature was brought close to the trunk, which opened up like a mouth. The entire mouse was stuffed inside, and the mouth closed.

"In the books, tangle trees were a menace... a full-grown one could eat a griffin whole."

"Why would you want to _make_ something like that?"

"To see what happens."

"You're crazy."

"Hmm, better than your earlier assumption."

* * *

"And this will be _your_ room."

She opened the door. The room inside was richly decorated in black, silver and blood red. There was a large bed with a canopy, a desk, and large amounts of space.

"It's the guest room, but you can fix it up however you please. After all, it seems like you'll be living with us for a while."

Draco walked into the center of the room, turned around slowly, then flopped down on the bed. "Great. Now go away."

"Fine." Dianna slammed the door shut.

Ungrateful prick. There he was, in her house, ordering her around. Who did he think he was?

The one thing Dianna couldn't understand was why she had shown him _her_ garden. Even her parents hardly ever went in there.

Maybe she hoped seeing it would make him understand that she wasn't what he thought she was.

**Okay! Yay, In 2 days I finished a 5-page chapter... jeez, don't expect many this long. It's kinda funny, 'cuz most of this just happened. I planned what happened in Dianna's garden and the room, that was it. And I thought I'd have trouble with this chapter... I like what I did with the parents, before the garden. That was **_**so**_** random. **

**Lotsa thanks to my editors:**

**Beta: Mika Kyoka (XFamousXLastXWordsX)**

**Gamma: Tsuki Kiba**

**Delta: meus frater (my brother)**


	3. How Could You Cry For Me?

**Disclaimer: sigh By this point, you should realize that everything on this site is fan-made and not done by anyone who owns this stuff. Woohoo. In short, I don't own HP or Sleep by MCR.**

**Okay, much as I want to write this chapter, I seem to have NO inspiration right now… but I never do. And I really ought to write some more. (What am I saying? I have fanfics that I haven't updated in a year.) Anyway, hope you enjoy.**

**IMPORTANT: I'm experimenting with ways to do the titles (which are all lyrics from songs). So, do you prefer Ch 1 (no lyrics), Ch 2 (title, then lyrics) or this (title in bold inside the lyrics)?**

**Also, please review! I discovered (via the newly discovered stat page) that I have people with **_**Story Alert**_**. You know who you are… I haven't gotten any reviews from you. I don't get it.**

**Chapter 3**

_And through it all,_

**How Could You Cry For Me?**

'_Cuz I don't feel bad about it._

_So shut your eyes,_

_Kiss me goodbye,_

_And Sleep._

_The crash echoed across the twisted landscape. Dianna started running again. She could feel the shadow of the clouds follow her. Every step she took, the dark mass came closer, occasionally letting out a burst of blinding light. It rumbled like an unknown creature in the dark._

_She saw the shadow creep in front of her, and she didn't dare look up. She knew the storm was right above her._

_That's when the rain started._

_Drops the color of sunset pooled on the ground, turning her world a deep red. The liquid rose above her waist, and she waded through in a panic._

_It wasn't long before she was swimming in bright blood. As the growing lake of blood pulled her under, she reached a weak hand up to touch air for the last time._

She felt her face pressed into the deep red…

"You know, I'm right next door. If you could scream louder next time, maybe you'll wake the poor folks in Hogsmead. Now, I need sleep, so shut up." Malfoy lifted the red pillow off her face, slinging it over his shoulder and glaring sleepily.

He was gone before Dianna was awake enough to say anything.

That had to be the worst dream she ever had. The dream combined everything she feared into one night. Maybe she could make an exception for how much she hated seeing Malfoy's face, if that was the alternative to her nightmare.

Dianna sat up, then carefully climbed out of her bed. She walked out into the dark hall, following it to the bathroom. She turned on the light and walked over to the faucet. She filled the sink with cold water and dunked her face in it, holding her breath as long as she could before she pulled it out. By the time she was finished, the water had warmed from the heat of her flushed face.

She studied herself in the mirror. She was still wide-eyed, and had broken out in a cold sweat. There was no way she could go back to sleep until she had calmed down.

She turned to the bathtub and turned on the water, sitting back as it filled. A bath was exactly what she needed to calm her nerves and wash away the remnant of the dream.

She pulled off her PJs and climbed in, enjoying the sensation of being covered in water. For a moment, she remembered falling beneath the surface of something other than water and shuddered…

* * *

She dragged herself back to bed, exhausted. She couldn't even remember how long she had been in the bath.

Dianna got back to her room and looked briefly at the clock. She looked again, staring at the numbers.

_4:42_

The sun would come up soon, she had about an hour. She could never sleep long once the sun came up, and she was exhausted. It wasn't going to be a fun day.

Despite the fact she wouldn't be getting much sleep, she lay back down and pulled the covers up over her chin.

Of course, as soon as she closed her eyes, she remembered all the times she had the nightmare. The problem with her dreams was that they always repeated themselves, nightmares especially.

She opened her eyes, scanning her room. She had a lot of colors, but she didn't have much red. Anything that reminded her of blood freaked her out. It was one of the reasons she had hated Malfoy's room long before he got there, it was always full of deep reds.

Sighing, she shut her eyes tight, trying to think of something else.

Malfoy.

Malfoy was so ungrateful. Dianna's parents were letting him stay in their house, and he took it for granted. If he acted like that all the time, he must be a real charmer. He was obviously the son of Death Eaters. That was the only way someone could become so haughty and self-centered…

She drifted off to sleep. For the first time she could remember, she didn't have a repeat of the dream.

* * *

Dianna stared at the rings around her eyes in the mirror. She stood, not moving, while she listened to the knocking at the bathroom door.

"Oy, are you planning on coming out?"

"This isn't the only bathroom in the house, Malfoy. There's another down the hall."

"Yeah, I know. But I don't even want to know how long you've been in there. It can't be healthy to be in that room so long."

"I wouldn't be worried about someone else's health, if I were you. I'd be worried about my own."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"Someone's going to knock your pretty teeth out someday."

"Wow, I didn't know you thought I was good looking."

Dianna couldn't think of anything to say in response. "You're such a prick. Leave me alone."

"And after that talk you gave me about judging people yesterday… hypocrite."

Thankfully, Dianna could hear his footsteps retreat down the hall.

She groaned, burying her face in her arms. "Well, I have to go out and face the world sometime."

She reached into the medicine cabinet, pulling out a couple bottles. She carefully applied concealer to the dark lines under eyes, then added baby powder. She examined her handiwork closely. "It'll do. At least I won't look like a walking corpse."

"And you talk to yourself, too. Are you mentally ill?"

"MALFOY!"

"And if you're trying to improve the way you look… I'm sorry, there's nothing that can be done. Even magic can't help you there. Besides, anyone with enough skill to at least make you _less_ ugly would run at the sight of you."

"I _thought_ you had left already, eavesdropper."

"And _I_ thought you'd be out of there by now. Is there a portal to another world in there? Can I see?"

"You perv."

"Why, Dianna! I can't believe you thought of it that way! And you accuse me, an innocent bystander, of being a perv…"

"You enjoy this, don't you?"

"It's fun torturing sleepy, annoying girls."

"What makes you think I'm sleepy?"

"Well, either you're sleepy or you're turning into a raccoon… which would be an improvement, by the way… and besides, no one _screams _that much in the middle of the night and wakes up refreshed."

"Oh…" She remembered Malfoy waking her up from the nightmare. "Yeah."

"What the hell scares you that much, anyway?"

"I'm tired, not stupid, Malfoy."

"Could've fooled me."

"Very funny."

"Really. What makes you tick?"

"A jerk like you."

"Aww… I'm hurt, Dianna. I feel like you don't like me now. You really should apologize."

"In your dreams."

"Ooh… all sorts of things happen in dreams, Dianna. And you just said you'd be in mine… mmm…"

Dianna was at a complete loss of anything to say. So she just did what seemed like a good idea.

She _screamed_.

Then, she opened the bathroom door. Malfoy was wearing that same stupid smirk. She slapped him right across the face, hard.

"Ow! Hey, what the hell was that for?"

"You are just horrible!" She turned and walked down the stairs to the main hall.

"Well, at least I got you out of the bathroom."

* * *

She was already halfway done with breakfast when Malfoy came downstairs. His hair was wet, and he had a towel slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, that looks good. Can I get some?"

"If you want something, go ask the House Elves. But you can't have what I'm having."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Because the house elves make it a special way, and they won't do it for anyone else."

"Ah, well. In that case, it might be better for my health to avoid what you're eating. So where do you keep the little slaves?"

Dianna slowly dropped her fork and turned to him, eyes narrowed. "In my house, Malfoy, we don't keep slaves. The house elves are free to leave if they decide they don't like it here."

"Well, that's stupid. Then you have to make sure you're nice to them so that they'll stay and do work."

"Exactly, Malfoy. Of course, I see how that would be a problem for you. You can't seem to be nice to anyone, so you'd have to find some sick, masochistic elf to be able to keep one."

Malfoy walked to the hall, then turned around. "I still don't know where they are."

Dianna heaved a heavy sigh. "Down the hall, the green door on the right."

"Thanks."

Dianna shoveled down the rest of her breakfast as quickly as she could, then stepped outside.

She walked through the main garden, picking a small cherry tomato and popping in her mouth. She opened the gate in the back corner and walked to a large tree next to the wall.

It looked like a normal tree, except for the fact that there were loaves of bread growing from the branches. Some looked normal, others were greenish and small. She picked a ripe loaf and started munching.

Suneku peeked through the open gate, then ran over to Dianna.

"Hey, buddy." Suneku clambered onto her lap, curling up like a cat.

"I wonder when you'll learn to fly?" Suneku stretched out his wings, giving them an experimental flap.

"I guess that you're still too young for me to expect anything soon." Dianna finished her breadfruit and lifted Suneku by the waist.

"Wanna know what flying feels like?" She cradled him in her arms and left the garden, carefully shut the gate behind her. She walked to a door in the house, opened it and pulled out her Firebolt.

The broom was customized, with a polished mahogany finish. 'Firebolt +' was engraved in the handle, filled with dark green paint.

She climbed onto it, then carefully put Suneku on the broom. When the broom took off, Suneku clung to the broom. Once they had been flying awhile, however, he spread his wings and squeaked happily.

Dianna guided the broom over the house, eventually settling down on a flat part of the roof.

This was her secret spot. There was an entrance into an attic of the house here, and for some reason there was no way to get there from inside the house. She opened the hatch and climbed inside, carrying Suneku with one arm and her broom with the other.

There wasn't much in the dark room, she could only put in what she could carry on her broom. There were bean bags strew about randomly, and the wood walls were painted a swirl of greens, blues, silvers and black. She set Suneku and the floor and sat down on a beanbag, looking about. The only fairly large piece of furniture was a small bookcase, which she had built herself.

Of course, she could have used magic to do everything, instead of relying on other means. Technically she wasn't supposed to use magic except when her parent gave her lessons, but they didn't mind if she used spells as long as she was careful. But for some reason, she didn't want to rely on magic to help her here.

It was a silly sentiment, but there was something about doing things yourself that made things so much more interesting. So, the only magic she had used in making this place was the magic in her broom.

The bookshelf was covered in almost more books than it could hold. She had all sorts of genres, styles and authors; all in mixed-up order. The books in her room were sorted alphabetically. For some reason, she loved the stark contrast.

Suneku curled on another bag, and for a moment everything was silent. Then, she heard a crash from downstairs.

"What in bloody hell was that?" Suneku stood up, cocking his head. "I'll be right back."

She grabbed the Firebolt and dashed out the hatch. She flew down, dropping the broom as soon as she landed. She ran to the kitchen, which was beneath her hideaway. Malfoy was standing in the narrow hall that led down, shuddering and staring at a thousand little pieces of glass on the floor.

"Malfoy… you really did it this time, didn't you?" Dianna recognized the glass on the floor. One of the decorations in the hall was a colored glass dragon, with a black snake and a white snake twirling around it. It was one of her favorite decorations. It had been put out of reach, so that you couldn't bump into it accidentally. You had a try to knock it down.

She looked at the wall. The shelf the dragon had been set on was tipped to one side, one of the supports on the floor.

"How _could_ you do that?"

"But… I, uh…" Malfoy looked very freaked out.

Ms. Goldet appeared. "Christ… you two, get out of here, immediately."

Dianna started to move, but realized that Malfoy was still frozen in the hall. She walked over to him, grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the hall. She noticed that his breathing was heavier than normal.

"What's with you? Are you claustrophobic?" Dianna continued to pull him along, stopping in the receiving room.

Malfoy's breathing returned to normal and he straightened up. "Even if I was, I don't need your help. So don't _ever_ touch me."

"Well, maybe next time you can move yourself instead of staring like an idiot at broken glass."

"At least I didn't do anything else. You probably would've freaked out and fallen face first into the glass."

"You're the one who looked freaked. Besides, why the hell did you knock it down in the first place? That shelf isn't something you can casually knock down."

"It was an accident. I bumped into the wall, whoever put it there was an idiot."

"And you're a complete _asshole._ You think I believe that?"

"So you're accusing me of being a liar. What a prissy know-it-all." He had that smug smile he always had whenever he knew he was getting on her nerves.

"I really don't get you, Malfoy. We're letting you live in _our_ house, but you're treating us like servants. Especially me. Why the hell do you have such a grudge against me? Or do you treat everyone like this, because you're too much of a prick to be nice to anyone, and you feel so threatened by everyone else that you have to insult them just to make _them_ feel small.

"Well, you know what Malfoy? I am so much better than you, and you prove it every time you insult me." Dianna exhaled deeply, feeling less sure of herself now that she had said what she thought of him.

"Oh, you think so? No, I don't insult people because _I_ feel inadequate. I insult people because it's fun to watch people like you get upset. You're so proud and self-righteous, I think it actually does you some good to hear something other than songs of your praises. Of course, I'm sure it's your parent's fault. You're a spoilt brat with barely enough brains to respond when someone challenges the fact that you're some perfect fairytale princess.

"Well, you're going to have to live in the real world, and not everyone is as nice as you think they should be. Hell, you're not even as nice as you think you are. You think you're better than I am, just because my parents don't believe what you do? At best, you're no better than me. But I think that everything you are is just what everyone expects you to be. I don't think you even _have_ original thoughts. Your problem is that you're such a robot, you really care what others think of you, and when it doesn't fit your perfect world you can't handle it and instead decide to show what a stupid bitch you really are."

Dianna let her jaw drop, not able believe everything he had just said. She knew he was a jerk, but this was beyond cruel.

She could feel her eyes start to burn a little. She took a few steps toward Malfoy.

"You _bastard_!"

_Smack._

Dianna retreated to her room while Malfoy stood in the same spot, stunned.

"What in _hell_?" He touched his cheek, noticing the small spots of blood that came off. Her nails must have scratched him.

"Draco, what just happened?" Mrs. Goldet looked from Draco's bruising cheek to the stairs that led to the bedrooms.

"We were bantering, and she _slapped_ me."

From upstairs, a noise started up, growing louder till Draco could hear the sound of a vocalist screaming something.

"Oh dear. Whatever it was, she's really upset now."

"What is that noise?" Draco placed a finger to his temple, which was starting to throb dully.

"Muggle music. They call it Screaming or something like that. She listens to it a lot, says it makes her feel calmer, though I have no idea how that angry music can have a calming effect. But she only turns it this loud when she's really upset." Mrs. Goldet stared into space, a look of worry on her face.

"Can't you do something about it? That stuff is starting to give me a headache."

"She doesn't like us to talk to her when she gets this upset."

Draco sighed and started toward the stairs.

Mrs. Goldet watched him, then shook her head. "I guess this is something they have to figure out for themselves." She walked toward the hall.

* * *

As Draco got closer to the room, he could hear how loud the music really was. The screaming was too loud from downstairs, but this close to the source it was deafening. He could hear the words of the song.

_So raise your glass high,_

_For tomorrow we die_

_And return to the ashes you call._

The song started to fade out, replaced by what sounded like a fuzzy radio transmission. As he walked to her room in what seemed like slow motion, the music built up until finally the vocalist joined in and the radio sound faded out.

_Some say now suffer all the children,_

_And walk away a savior_

_Or a mad man and polluted,_

_From gutter institutions._

It seemed like time was slowing. He thought about everything he had said to her.

_Don't you _breathe_ for me,_

_Undeserving of your _sym_pathy,_

If someone had said stuff like that to him, he would have been upset. He had told her that she had no real self.

'_Cuz there ain't no way that I'm sorry for what I did._

Draco stood in front of her door, examining the deep green of the door.

_And through it all,_

_How could you cry for me?_

'_Cuz I don't feel bad about it._

_So shut your eyes, kiss me goodbye,_

_And sleep._

_Just sleep._

What do you say after something like that?

_The hardest part…_

He cracked open the door, as quietly as he could. Of course, she probably couldn't hear anything over this racket, but it was better to be careful.

_is letting go of your dreams._

_A drink, for the horror that I'm in. _

He could see her, holding an imaginary mike and screaming into it, her face contorted in an angry sneer as she spat out the words one at a time.

_For the good guys and the bad guys,_

_For the monsters that I've been._

Draco pushed the door farther, taking a step into the room. "Dianna?" Despite the fact he had almost shouted, his voice sounded soft.

_Three cheers for _tyr_anny,_

_Unapologetic _ap_athy,_

Dianna stopped screaming into the mike, turning to him briefly. She reached for the radio and turned down the volume.

'_Cuz there ain't no way that I'm comin' back again._

"Listen… I'm sorry about what I said." Draco dug one hand into his pocket and stared at the floor.

_And through it all,_

He looked up and saw the tears in her eyes. "I…"

_How could you cry for me?_

"I'm not crying for myself, Malfoy."

'_Cuz I don't feel bad about it._

_So shut your eyes, kiss me goodbye,_

Draco wasn't sure what to say to that.

_And sleep._

"Really… I know you don't believe me…"

_Just sleep…_

"I believe you. Just leave me alone for awhile, please."

_The hardest part's the awful things that I've seen._

"Can't you at least let me apologize?" The radio sound had come back again, and he could barely make out a voice.

"Fine. Apologize."

"I'm sorry."

_Just sleep…_

"I didn't mean what I said."

_Just sleep…_

"You're forgiven. Now, goodbye."

_Just sleep…_

Dianna walked toward him, face expressionless. Draco backed up.

_Just sleep…_

Soon, he was just outside the door. "Bye."

_Just sleep…_

"Bye." Dianna closed the door slowly.

_Just sleep…_

As Draco walked away, he tried to peace everything together. For some reason, he really did feel sorry for the nasty things he had said. In fact, he thought of it as a game gotten out of hand. Ever since he had arrived, he and Dianna had had insult battles.

He could hear the song change again in the background.

_They're gonna clean up your looks,_

_With all the lies and the books…_

He shook his head and walked down the stairs. He couldn't hear the music from the receiving room anymore.

He walked back up, sitting on the top stair and listening to the whispered screams coming from Dianna's room.

**OMG! I finished this in two days! Never mind the fact that it's 1:45 AM on July 4****th****… and it was past to yesterday morning when I stopped… oh well. I can sleep in peace. Yay. And 14 ½ pages. True, this is because I have very short lines, but it's still a record for me. And I thought the last chapter was long.**

**NOTES: The end was sorta like a songfic with the music in the background… oh well. For those who noticed, some of the words in the lyrics are not italicized because those words and/or syllables are accented. Also, the part with the lyrics is from Draco's POV.**

**Extra tidbit! I was getting distracted earlier, and my friend Tenshi-Chan (Wolfiemoon here) mentioned how I was doing **_**so**_** much dialogue. Well, that's because nothing really happens at home, right?**

**And we came up with this… this clip could be inserted in the scene where Draco's asking about breakfast. I think it's funny (or I hope it is).**

**

* * *

**

"**Oh? Why not?"**

**Suddenly, a gigantic griffin crashed through the window. Dianna screamed, but Malfoy pulled out his wand.**

"**Begone, beastie!" Malfoy had suddenly developed a Scottish accent.**

**The griffin took one look at him, then screeched and advanced.**

**The two circled each other. Dianna, recovering from her shock (how many times does this happen to you in a day?) took a running start and pounced on the creatures back, wrapping her arms around it's neck.**

"**Get **_**off, **_**you idiot! You'll get yourself killed!"**

**Indeed, the creature was turning his neck to nip at her arms, giving her a long, thin gash down the right arm. Dianna looked at the blood, screamed, and fell down, fainting dramatically.**

"**Oh, shit…"**

"**Don't use foul language in the house, Draco!" Marianne walked into the room and observed the creature and two teens. "Oh dear, what a naughty beastie you are."**

**The griffin looked at Mrs. Goldet, tears welling up in its eyes.**

"**Now, if you want sympathy, be a good griffin and don't attack helpless children."**

"**Hey, I'm not helpless **_**or**_** a child."**

**The griffin turned to look at Malfoy.**

"**I mean, uh…. Meep?"**

**Mrs. Goldet approached the griffin. "Now shoo. Go back to your family, and ask your mommy to reteach you manners."**

**The griffin let out a defeated sigh and flew out the window.**

**Dianna finally regained consciousness. "Why did I just have a vision of a griffin jumping through the window?"**

"**Because it just happened."**

"**Oh." Dianna went back to her food, watching as her mother left. "Anyway, you can't have my breakfast because the house elves make it a special way, and they won't do it for anyone else."**

**

* * *

**

**We also made this little rhyme, based off of… well, nevermind.**

**Dialouge, the magical fruit;**

**The more you eat, the more reviews;**

**The more reviews, the better you'll feel;**

**So add some dialogue at every meal. **

**  
WTF?**

**Just… R'n'R.**


End file.
